Big, dark and bold – that’s the mandate for the annual Colonial Inquest release, one which allows their 16 brewers to get creative, as was the case with the 2018 release we described as a "Frankenporter". For the final iteration this decade, Inquest returns to the imperial stout style but with a curious twist in the shape of experimental hop HBC 472. A sister of the highly regarded Sabro hop, HBC 472 imparts barrel-aged qualities of oak and coconut as well as tropical notes depending on how it’s used, in this case with a Belgian-style malt base and an Irish yeast that adds to 2019’s creative charm.
Dark chocolate, marshmallow and subtle raspberry aromas are carried by a forward boozy presence. Things get interesting on the tongue, as coconut and vanilla come in to play through the creamy mouthfeel with more milk and spiced dark chocolate, roasted malt and subtle woody notes – it’s definitely not dripping in stave action, but there are very intriguing hop derived elements. Based on Inquest 2019’s expression, I doubt this will be the last drinkers see of HBC 472.
Guy Southern
Published August 5, 2019 2019-08-05 00:00:00
